


Bonfire of the Vuurterrs

by LadyPaigeC



Series: 31 Days of Ficmas 2017 [26]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 31 Days of Ficmas, Ace blowing things up, Established Relationship, F/M, Fire, Nitro-9, S'mores, fake married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 07:26:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13208856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyPaigeC/pseuds/LadyPaigeC
Summary: The Doctor promises Rose a trip to a winter festival complete with a bonfire. What they find is a previous companion set on rescuing her Doctor.





	Bonfire of the Vuurterrs

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 31 Days of Ficmas at doctorroseprompts on Tumblr (day 26 - fire).

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and waved his hand with a flourish. “Vuurterr. Home of the great winter bonfire. It’s famous across three star systems. And it's the unofficial start of this planet’s yuuuul season.”

Rose walked out of the TARDIS and rubbed her arms. “Blimey, it’s freezin’.” 

The Doctor moved to stand in front of her and lifted the hood of her parka. With hooded eyes and a gravelly voice he said, “Stick with me and I’ll keep you warm.”

“That was terrible.” Rose rolled her eyes. “And ta, but I don’t fancy gettin’ thrown in jail for that...again. This week.” She pulled him down and kissed his forehead.

He laughed and grabbed her hand. “Suppose. Gotta save something for next week.”

“Did you remember to bring-”

He patted his pocket. “Right here.” 

“Great! Then what're we waiting' for?”

They walked through the snowy forest until they came to the outskirts of a small town. Rose looked around. 

“Erm, didn’t you say this was the start of their festive season.”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, I guess I jus’ thought it would be more...festive.”

The Doctor’s sharp gaze took in their surrounds and he finally saw what Rose saw. There were no fairy lights or pine boughs with ribbons. There were no hawkers with hot drinks or merchants selling small trinkets. There were no people anywhere to be seen.

His hand went the the back of his neck. “I’m sure I got the date right.”

Rose tried to hide her smile. “Let’s go investigate, yeah?”

He sighed and nodded. Hands clasped, they continued on toward the little village. It was eerily silent and the hairs on the back of Rose’s neck stood at attention. She slowed her pace. The Doctor gazed at her inquisitively.

“Halt!”

The Doctor and Rose froze and glanced to their left where the voice had come from. The Doctor took a small step forward putting himself between Rose and the unknown person. A young woman holding a rifle stepped out of the treeline. 

The Doctor gasped.

Rose peeked over his shoulder at the girl. Rose couldn’t figure out what would cause the Doctor’s reaction. They were held at gunpoint rather a lot, so it couldn’t be simply the circumstance. The girl appeared to be rather normal - on the short side, light brown hair pulled back and plaited, only a few years younger than Rose. Other than the girl’s sense of fashion - bomber jacket covered in patches - which looked right out of 80’s London, Rose couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The Doctor couldn’t take his eyes off the girl.

“All right, hands up and no funny business.”

Rose slowly raised both arms, but the Doctor was beaming and looking rather proud. Rose elbowed him and gestured for him to raise his.

“Oh, right.” The Doctor put his arms up, smiling daftly.

Rose’s eyes narrowed and she whispered, “What’s wrong with you?”

He nodded once and mouthed, “Former companion.”

Rose’s eyes widened and she darted a glance at the young woman before scanning the woods for his former self. “Blimey, she’s even younger than-”

“What’re you two doing out here?”

“Oh, just out for a walk with my wife. Enjoying the brisk night air.”

Both Rose and the girl stared at the Doctor in disbelief.

“Erm, we’re travelers and heard that these parts are known for a winter festival and bonfire.”

The girl let out a harsh laugh. “You must be lost. The only thing these parts are known for is an 80 year war.” She shook her head. “An’ I didn’t think anyone but the Professor could get things so wrong.”

“Ah, speaking of the Doctor. Is he around?”

“You know him?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

The girl’s shoulders dropped. “He got captured. I was just about to bust him out when I heard you two. Didn’t know if you were friend or foe.”

“Friend, definitely friend. I’m Rose, Rose Tyler, and this is-”

“Her husband, John. Doctor John Tyler.” The Doctor stuck his hand out to shake. 

“I’m Ace.”

The Doctor grabbed her hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Lovely to meet you, Ace.”

Rose stepped forward and removed the Doctor’s hands from a befuddled looking Ace. “Do you know where he’s bein’ held?”

“Yeah. There’s a small cabin on the other side of town that’s doing double duty as a holding area and a munitions dump.”

“Alright, let’s go get him out.” Rose linked her arm with Ace’s and smiled flirty at the Doctor over her shoulder. “So tell me all about this Doctor of yours.”

The Doctor had a sinking feeling that introducing Rose to Ace might have been a Very Bad Idea™.

\--

Rose and Ace peeked through the window into the building where the younger Doctor was being held. He was tied to a chair with a gag in his mouth.

The two women dropped down to the ground and turned to the older Doctor who was hovering nearby.

“The D- Er, John and I will go rescue your friend. Can you keep lookout?”

“Sure.” Ace nodded.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. “You gave into that plan rather easily.”

Ace reached into the rucksack at her side and pulled out a small silver canister. “It fits perfectly with mine, so…”

“Ace…”

“Wha’s that? Hairspray?”

Ace held up the aerosol can and smiled. “An invention of mine. Nitro-9. Get the Doctor out and away from the building as fast as you can. It’s only got a 10 second fuse.”

Rose’s eyes moved from Ace to the bomb and back again. “Y-you’re gonna blow up the building?”

“The Professor wanted to let the war proceed naturally, but then they had to go and kidnap him. So now I’m gonna do what I have to so that they don’t do the same thing to anyone else.”

Rose grinned widely. “Oh, good for you.”

Rose glanced at her Doctor who was deep in thought. She snagged his hand and towed him around the building.

Ace watched through the window for Rose and her husband to get the Doctor out of there. Rose seemed to be distracting the guard by flirting with him if the disgruntled look on her husband’s face was anything to go by. Ace was impressed with the way she disarmed the man and held him at gunpoint with his own weapon before he even figured out what she was doing. Her husband brushed past and quickly untied the Doctor. The guard turned to stop his prisoner from escaping when Rose hit him on the back of the head, knocking him out. The Doctor and her husband both wore the same shocked faces. Rose shouted and pointed at the door before the Doctor sheepishly walked out. Rose started to drag the unconscious guard toward the exit before her husband picked the man up and carried him out. 

Ace used the butt of her gun to break the window and toss a canister of Nitro-9 inside. She took off running immediately.

There was a huge blast and smouldering debris rained down around the clearing.

The four of them met up at the edge of the woods.

“Professor! Are you alright?” Ace threw her arms around her Doctor.

“Fine. Fine, my dear. Thank you. Although, what have I said abo-”

“Oh, hush, Doctor. She was brilliant!” Rose hugged Ace. 

“Thanks, you were pretty good yourself. Nice work with the guard.”

“Don’t encourage her.” 

Rose grinned wolfishly at her Doctor’s put upon expression. “You love it.”

“Welp. Rose and I should be going.” He locked his fingers with hers. 

“Oh, look at that!” At Ace’s exclamation, everyone turned toward in the direction that the former cabin stood burning.

The townspeople had all ventured from their homes. They were hugging each other and crying; some were laughing and dancing around the blazing fire. Warmth spread through Rose at the sight.

Rose leaned into her Doctor and whispered in his ear. “I guess you _were_ right about the bonfire.”

He laughed. “I wasn’t expecting it to be the first, but I should’ve known.”

Rose turned to the others. “Let’s go join them. We brought supplies for s’mores.”

“S’mores? What are those?”

Rose clasped her arm around Ace’s and led her toward the celebration. “Oh, they’re gorgeous. Toasted marshmallows, melted chocolate, and a ginger biscuit.”

The older Doctor watched fondly as Rose and his beloved former companion made their way chatting affably.

He turned at his younger self’s sigh. “Is this what we do now? Marry our companions?”

“We’re not really married. Weeell, maybe on Klaxios VII, but Rose doesn’t know that.”

The younger Doctor snorted. “You should though.”

His counterpart stared in shock. “I should what?”

The younger Doctor shrugged. “They let Andred. And I can see the way you look at her. We’ve never looked at anyone like that before. She’s special. Even I can tell that. And you love her.”

The older Doctor gave up all pretense to the contrary. “Yeah.”

“Be happy, Doctor.”

“I-”

“Darling!” Rose called from down the trail. “We need you and the marshmallows!”

The older Doctor couldn’t stop his silly grin as he called back, “You just love me for my pockets!”

A soft smile appeared on Rose’s face before she winked at him and called back, “An’ your time and spaceship!”

The younger Doctor chortled. “If you don’t marry her, I will.”

“Oi!” He growled, “She's mine.”

The foursome joined the villagers and introduced them to the delicacies that were s’mores, a delight which would go on to become a staple at all future yuuuul celebrations.


End file.
